“Good!”
Gu Shen Yan immediately agreed, “When do I leave?”
Chen Han Wen knew he needed to report to the organization before going to Europe, so he said, "Wait for Zhong Yi's news.”
“Yes.”
Gu Shen Yan stood at attention, his tone firm as he said, “This subordinate guarantees completion of the mission.”
After making arrangements for Gu Shen Yan, Chen Han Wen got up and left. Xu Zhong Yi glanced at Gu Shen Yan, who nodded without saying anything.
Seeing that Gu Shen Yan understood his meaning, Xu Zhong Yi immediately followed Chen Han Wen and left. After escorting Chen Han Wen to his destination, Xu Zhong Yi immediately returned to the trading house. Upon seeing Gu Shen Yan, he went straight to the point, “Old Gu, the Chief rescued you. It was his kindness, his unwillingness to lose your abilities. But I know you’re not as simple as you appear. I wasn’t willing to use you before because I was worried you would cause trouble for the Chief. But the Chief wants to use you, so I will obey his orders and use you. However…”
Xu Zhong Yi’s tone immediately turned serious, and he said to Gu Shen Yan, “I don’t care what schemes you have, or who you are connected to, but if you cause trouble for the Chief, I will not spare you!”
“Yes!”
Gu Shen Yan hurriedly bowed, expressing his loyalty to Chen Han Wen, “Please rest assured, Chief Xu. Chief Chen pulled me from the execution ground. My life belongs to Chief Chen. I will never disappoint the trust he has placed in me. I will work diligently for the Chief and serve him faithfully, repaying his life-saving grace with loyalty.”
“Humph!”
Xu Zhong Yi snorted, stood up, and said to Gu Shen Yan, “I don’t care what you say, I want to see what you do!”
“Understood, please supervise, Chief Xu!”
After Xu Zhong Yi left, Gu Shen Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead. Xu Zhong Yi was just Chen Han Wen’s lackey, just an ordinary figure, but he was backed by Chen Han Wen. Who in the entire city dared to underestimate Chen Han Wen?
A person's influence doesn't depend on themselves but on the platform they stand on.
Previously, Gu Shen Yan was just Xu Zhong Yi’s tool, but now he has gained Chen Han Wen’s approval and has become Chen Han Wen’s lackey. Where he goes in the future, he will also be respected, just like Xu Zhong Yi.
After clarifying his current position, Gu Shen Yan began to ponder the information Chen Han Wen had revealed to him.
Chen Han Wen said that within three years, Zhong Yi Trading House’s business would be transferred to Hong Kong, Indochina, Australia, and Japan… Was he planning for the future?
He wasn’t investing domestically anymore, which meant… Chen Han Wen thought the KMT would be defeated?
Gu Shen Yan pondered this and couldn’t help but take a sharp breath.
What gave Chen Han Wen the confidence to believe the KMT would be defeated?
Although Gu Shen Yan had always believed in the inevitable victory of the CCP, belief and reality were two different things. The CCP-led army still had a significant gap compared to the KMT army.
Not to mention the 600,000 Expeditionary Forces in India, who were currently undergoing training by the US military, equipped with American weapons… Bringing those 600,000 men back to the mainland would be like a dimensional strike.
Yet Chen Han Wen had set a specific timeframe of three years.
Could it be… that Chen Han Wen believed the KMT would be defeated within three years?
Gu Shen Yan thought this but immediately dismissed it. Based on Chen Han Wen’s cautious nature, he should have given himself a buffer period of a few years, a maximum of three years.
Would the KMT be defeated in six years?
Gu Shen Yan didn’t believe it, but Chen Han Wen’s actions forced him to believe.
Unable to figure out where Chen Han Wen’s arrangements came from, Gu Shen Yan, out of caution, didn’t report the matter to his superiors. He only informed them that Chen Han Wen was sending him to Europe to contact a businessman named Hans.
After Gu Shen Yan relayed the message to his superiors, they quickly responded with an approval.
It must be said that Gu Shen Yan’s guess was basically the same as Chen Han Wen’s true thoughts. But he had overlooked one point: Why did Chen Han Wen tell him about Zhong Yi Trading House’s future plans for the next three years when he was only sending him to Europe?
If he connected these two things, Gu Shen Yan would basically have found the truth. Unfortunately, he was too focused on trying to figure out why Chen Han Wen was so confident about the KMT's defeat, which led him down a dead end, making him further away from the truth.
…
At the same time, within the Military Commission's secret service.
Dai Li was slamming his fist on the table and yelling.
Xu Bai Chuan and Mao Ren Feng were trembling before Dai Li's rage.
Zheng Yao Xian was better off, although he wasn't that scared, he kept his head down and didn't dare say a word.
Bang!
Dai Li slammed his hand on the table again, pointed at Xu Bai Chuan and yelled, “Xu Bai Chuan, what have you been doing? I told you to monitor the Communists, and you let them escape? Even Li Hai Feng, whom you sent to monitor the Communists, has defected! What have you been eating? The Japanese have already stuck their hands into your bowl, and you still don't know anything? Huh?”
Xu Bai Chuan shrunk his neck in fear. At this moment, he couldn't argue or explain.
However, he still had to explain, “Chief, please calm down. Now that the Japanese are about to be defeated, even if Li Hai Feng is an idiot, he wouldn't defect to the Wang puppet regime at this time… Based on my investigation, the Japanese and traitors lurking in the city kidnapped his wife and children and threatened Li Hai Feng. My actions were inadequate. Please punish me, Chief.”
All of the previous statements were just excuses to shirk responsibility.
Xu Bai Chuan was merely the director of the telecommunications department. Investigating the lurking secret agents in the city and overseeing internal defections was the responsibility of the Chongqing Station and the Supervisory Department. Li Hai Feng's defection had nothing to do with him. Don't drag him into this.
Dai Li didn't care about any of that. He also scolded Mao Ren Feng, “Mao Ren Feng, what have you been doing? You keep bothering me with trivial matters. Now that such a major incident has occurred in the Bureau, why have you become mute? Huh?”
Mao Ren Feng didn't say a word, with an expression of “I was wrong, anything you say is right.”
Finally, Dai Li was tired of yelling. He glanced at Zheng Yao Xian and said, "Old Six, Li Hai Feng has run away. We can't keep this kind of person. He must be eliminated! You’re in charge of this.”
“Me?”
Zheng Yao Xian didn’t expect Dai Li to give him this task. He thought for a moment and said, “Chief, I am unfamiliar with Nanjing. Can we assign this to someone else? Moreover, I am not good at field operations, and Li Hai Feng knows me. So, if I go, I won’t be able to complete the task you have given me effectively.”
Dai Li didn't really intend to send Zheng Yao Xian to carry out the mission. He was just venting his anger, finding someone to release his frustration. Once he had vented his anger, he began to ponder who should be sent to Nanjing to carry out the mission.
Seeing that Dai Li didn’t say anything, Mao Ren Feng immediately stepped forward and said, “Chief, you…”
He stopped halfway through his sentence.
It was clear that Xu Bai Chuan and Zheng Yao Xian were in the way. So, Dai Li waved his hand and asked Xu Bai Chuan and Zheng Yao Xian to leave, leaving Mao Ren Feng alone to report.
After everyone else left, Mao Ren Feng immediately walked up to Dai Li and said, “Chief, according to the information from our secret agent lurking in Northern Shaanxi, Lu Zong Fang from the Action Department is a Communist spy planted in our ranks. Why don’t we send him to carry out this mission. We can take advantage of the opportunity to…”
He then made a downward slicing motion with his hand. Dai Li wasn't surprised to hear that Lu Zong Fang was a Communist, because the current situation was one where you have me, and I have you. The Communists could infiltrate the Military Commission's secret service, and the Military Commission's secret service could infiltrate Northern Shaanxi.
It was just a matter of who could dig out the hidden spy.